RESEARCHER & CONSULTANT
Ava de Pol is a researcher and strategy consultant based in Berlin, Germany, currently working on AI adoption and knowledge management in professional service organizations.
She combines doctoral research with several years of experience in international technology consulting, including enterprise transformation and business technology projects.
Looking For
RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
Ava’s doctoral research examines how professional service organizations adopt internal AI tools, and how that adoption reshapes knowledge management practices. The work draws on technology acceptance frameworks and engages with EU AI regulation as it applies to professional services. Her analysis is grounded in organizational survey data.
She is interested in developing new interdisciplinary research questions and collaborations across decision research, innovation and digitisation, industrial organisation, information systems, data science for business, and the increasing use of AI in organisations and the wider economy.
Selected work:
de Pol, A. (2026). Reconstructing the IT professional in the generative AI era: A conceptual model of competency, role and identity transformation. In Lecture Notes in Informatics (LNI). Gesellschaft für Informatik. https://dl.gi.de/handle/20.500.12116/23
de Pol, A., & Zwilling M. (in review). Exploring the Adoption of Internal AI Chatbots for Knowledge Management in Professional Service Organizations: A Qualitative Study. International Journal of Innovation and Learning.
de Pol, A., & Prodromou, A. (2026). The AI advertising dilemma: Does artificial creativity build or break brand loyalty? In Leadership, learning, and business beyond boundaries: Managing change in a complex world: Proceedings of the MakeLearn, TIIM & PIConf International Conference (pp. 67-76). ToKnowPress. https://toknowpress.net/ISBN/978-961-6914-33-8/10.pdf
TEACHING
Ava is interested in teaching, academic collaboration, and public engagement in information systems, AI, technology adoption, digital transformation, knowledge management, and research methods.
Moderation
Recent moderated event
▪️IT-Tage 2026 in Frankfurt with Informatik Aktuell – Digital Sovereignty Track
SPEAKING
Ava speaks on artificial intelligence, technology adoption, knowledge management, and the future of work, combining research findings with practical experience from international technology consulting
Recent Speaking Engagements
▪️Unconference:AI 2026 (Berghs School of Communication, Stockholm) on what would have to happen for a superintelligent AI to actually cause human extinction. Particularly, four hurdles were discussed: acquiring resources, evading oversight, developing persistent goals, and overcoming humanity’s combined technological defenses.
▪️Barcamp session at KnowledgeCamp 2026 (Gesellschaft für Wissensmanagement e.V., Berlin) on AI’s place in consulting knowledge, drawing on original survey data from IT consultants to examine how firms use internal AI chatbots to address fragmented documentation, slow onboarding, and inefficient information retrieval. The session compares implementation options, including Microsoft Copilot, self-hosted solutions, and RAG systems, debates whether internal AI chatbots are truly necessary, and introduces a practical Knowledge Ecosystem Framework for structuring organizational knowledge and access.
CONSULTING
Ava has an international academic and professional background, having studied, worked, and collaborated across Asia and Europe. Her professional experience spans international technology consulting, enterprise transformation, SAP, and AI and digital projects.
Through her consulting work, Ava helps organizations understand emerging AI technologies, identify strategic opportunities, and navigate technological transformation from both a business and organizational perspective. Her approach combines analytical rigor, academic research, hands-on technology experience, and attention to organizational and human factors.
BEYOND WORK
Beyond research and consulting, Ava is drawn to things that slow the mind down and sharpen the senses. She enjoys classical piano, calligraphy, painting, and long walks in nature. She also enjoys pool, tennis, and outdoor activities, especially when they bring people together.
She’s currently adapting Guiguzi, an ancient Chinese strategic text, into a modern series of philosophical lectures for ambitious young women navigating personal and professional life.